It is known in the art to treat various conditions and illnesses using oral medications such as expectorants, non-steroid anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs), antihistamines, cough suppressants, mucolytic agents, curatives, neutraceuticals, and antidotes. These oral therapeutic compositions are supplied to patients in a variety for forms. For example, various medications can be supplied in syrups, liquids, powders, tablets, gels, and other ingestible formats.
However, some medications can have an astringent or bitter taste which discourages patients from taking a full dose. However, the format of the medication (liquid, solid, gel etc.) can be used to make a unpleasant taste
One way to increase active ingredient uptake is through the use of carbonation. A carbonated drink is a beverage that has had carbon dioxide introduced for some reason.
The process of carbonating a liquid usually involves the introduction of carbon dioxide under high pressure. When the pressure is reduced, the carbon dioxide is released from the solution as small bubbles, which causes the solution to become effervescent, or “fizz”. An example of carbonation is introducing of carbon dioxide in water, resulting in carbonated water.
Currently, carbonation and carbonated beverages are useful in increasing the uptake of certain ingredients in the human body. For example, Schroder et al., Absorption of calcium from the carbonated dairy soft drink is greater than that from fat-free milk and calcium-fortified orange juice in women. 25 Nutrition Research 737-742 (2005), hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, describes the use carbonated beverages to increase the absorption of calcium.
Carbonated beverages also can be used to increase the uptake of alcohol. For example, Roberts C. Robinson, Alcohol concentration and carbonation of drinks: the effect on blood alcohol levels, 14(7) Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine 398-405 (2007), hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, describes increased uptake of alcohol when mixed with carbonated beverages.
The prior art attempts to provide carbonation through the use of effervescent formulations that produce carbonation-like results upon contact with water. However, there are numerous problems associated with effervescent formulations.
For example GB2192790, herein incorporated by reference, describes effervescent formulations comprising from 6 to 32% by weight of acetylcysteine (NAC), from 35 to 50% by weight of citric acid, from 26 to 37% by weight of sodium bicarbonate, from 1 to 1.5% by weight of aspartame and from 5 to 7% by weight of a flavoring agent in which the weight ratio between citric acid and sodium bicarbonate is from 1.2:1 to 1.4:1. The effervescent tablet containing 600 mg of NAC has a total weight of 1900 mg. Similar effervescent tablets are marketed as Fluimucil® 600 and have a total weight of 1.8 g.
EP 0 339 508, herein incorporated by reference, describes mouth-soluble formulations containing NAC, alkaline bicarbonates, carbohydrates and fruit flavorings. The amount of carbohydrates is from 20:1 to 50:1 by weight compared with NAC.
Likewise, EP 0 839 528, herein incorporated by reference, describes mouth-soluble compositions of NAC in which the taste masking is obtained using cyclodextrins. The composition described also contains an amount from 2 to 15 parts of carbohydrates, preferably from 5 to 10 parts by weight compared with NAC. Even low dosage formulations (100-200 g of NAC) have a total weight of at least 2 g.
However, each of these references describes the use of solid form tablets. In each of the cited references, the liquid and solid components are provided for separately, not as a single carbonated beverage.
Therefore, what is needed is a therapeutic composition that includes a carbonated beverage and a therapeutically active ingredient that is, increase uptake of active ingredients, superior product stability, and improve patient compliance, thereby providing a more effective dose and improving compliance with a prescribed dosing regimen. What is further needed is a therapeutic composition that has improved taste presentation over existing therapeutically active compositions.